3D Printing with Titanium

Titanium is a metal with a number of advantages. Both lightweight and
mechanically strong, it is also biocompatible and resists corrosion
very well. Because of these properties it is a widely used material
in high-tech fields such as aeronautics, space exploration and
the medical field.

3D Printing with Titanium: Advantages and Disadvantages

Titanium 3D printing has many advantages when compared to traditional
manufacturing methods. Here is a quick overview:

Complexity of parts: Titanium 3D printing can produce complex
shapes that would not otherwise be feasible. This creates
many possibilities in terms of design and parts optimisation.

Mechanical properties: Parts printed in titanium retain very
good mechanical properties and can be produced in a batch.
This eliminates welding steps, which can create impurities
and areas of weakness in the metal.

Reduced production time and increased flexibility: 3D printing
eliminates several steps in the manufacturing processes
and allows parts to be produced in a few hours or days,
as appropriate.

However, the cost of titanium 3D printing remains high. The industry
still has a few challenges to overcome to improve this technology,
such as reducing the cost of titanium powder.

Titanium 3D Printers and Technologies

There are currently many titanium 3D printers on the market. The primary
manufacturers of these kinds of printers are Optomec, SLM Solutions,
Arcam, 3D Systems and EOS. Here is a list of the main titanium
3D printers on the market, sorted by technology: